Brockway, George Ernest Emerson   (1900 - 1973)

Brockway was born on 8 December 1900, probably in Western Australia, and died in Perth on 8 November 1973.

He was appointed to the Forests Department of Western Australia in 1926 and remained in the service until he retired from the position of Superintendent of Research on 8 December 1965.
For a long period he was Divisional Forest Officer at Kalgoorlie and during that time he built up a detailed knowledge of the eucalypts of the goldfields. He was widely regarded as an expert on the use of eucalypts in arid and semi-arid regions, and was seconded to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations to advise and report on the use of eucalypts overseas.
He wrote leaflets on the use of eucalypts in south-west Western Australia, especially in the wheat country, and papers published in Australian Forestry.

Source:Hall, N. (1978) Botanists of the Eucalypts. CSIRO, Melbourne.

George Brockway - Dryandra hero

George Brockway was one of Western Australia's first professional foresters, and became one of the most famous. Because of his work in the protection of inland forests, and promotion of native trees, he is known today as "The Forgotten Conservationist".
Brockway was responsible for the development of Australia's first nursery raising seedlings of native "dryland" eucalyptus species.
Originally located at Kalgoorlie, Brockway transferred the nursery to Dryandra, so as to make it more accessible to wheatbelt Shires and land owners. Later the nursery was again transferred to Narrogin, where it became the premier native tree nursery in WA, raising seedlings of over 50 different Western Australian trees.
He also pioneered the collection for sale overseas of seed from WA's dryland eucalypts which was then used for land reclamation and firewood plantations.
As a young forester in the 1920s, Brockway carried out major vegetation surveys of areas proposed for alienation and clearing for farmland, and he made recommendations that resulted in the creation of numerous reserves, still extant today.
He knew and loved Dryandra forest and was, at one time, almost a lone voice in support of its preservation and sound management. He was a frequent presence in the forest, and a special "staff hut" was built at Dryandra where he would stay.
In his later years, and "retirement" he spent years in India, Pakistan and north Africa, promoting the use of Western Australian dryland eucalypts for land care and restoration.
A gifted botanist and tough bushman, Brockway discovered, and promoted the use as an ornamental tree, the variety of Eucalyptus caesia that is known today as 'Silver Princess', and is found in nearly every suburban park and garden in Perth.

Source:Underwood, Roger (2023) 'Dryandra Forest - A silvicultural history', York Gum Publishing, WA, p.97

He is honoured in the name Eucalyptus brockwayi C. A. Gardn. (1941)

Collecting localities for 'Brockway, G.E.' from AVH (2021)

Data from 657 specimens